Slide arrangement for cable drawer

ABSTRACT

A drawer slide having first and second rails interconnected by a center rail. The center rail includes a spool configured to provide half-speed travel of the center rail relative to the travel of the first rail. The drawer slide is configured for use with a drawer assembly having a drawer and a chassis. The drawer assembly further includes a radius limiter secured to the center rail. The radius limiter travels at half-speed relative to the drawer. The radius limiter also automatically rotates relative to the travel of the drawer. The chassis includes sides including threaded backing plates, and mounting brackets. The mounting brackets include tri-lobed holes for receipt of a reciprocally shaped washer and a fastener for mounting the brackets to the chassis sides.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/631,675,filed Jul. 31, 2003; which application in incorporate herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure concerns management of optical fiber cables. Inparticular, this disclosure relates to storage of optical fiber cablesand devices in the telecommunications industry.

BACKGROUND

Cable storage devices and arrangements have been used to preventunnecessary or excessive displacement of optical fibers. Some examplesof known devices and arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,066,149 and 6,504,988, both assigned to ADC Telecommunications, Inc.,and incorporated herein by reference. Other cable storage devices andarrangements are disclosed in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 09/900,465,filed Jul. 6, 2001, and 10/346,914, filed Jan. 15, 2003, both assignedto ADC Telecommunications, Inc., and incorporated herein by reference.

Generally, these devices and arrangement are provided so that whenmoving the trays or drawers, unnecessary or excessive displacement ofthe optical fiber cables is avoided. Excessive displacement can causethe optical fibers to bend resulting in attenuation and loss of signalstrength. As the fiber bends, the fiber can also break, resulting in aloss of transmission through the fiber.

In general, improvement has been sought with respect to such devices andarrangements, generally to better accommodate: ease of use, manufacture,reliability, and cost of such devices.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a slide arrangementincluding a center rail, a first rail, and a second rail. The first railhas a first structure configured to slidably engage a first constructionof the center rail. The second rail has a second structure configured toslidably engage a second construction of the center rail. The slidearrangement also includes a spool configured to contact each of thefirst and second rails when the first rail slides relative to the secondrail.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a drawer arrangementincluding a drawer, a chassis, and a slide assembly. The slide assemblyincludes a first rail member secured to the drawer, a second rail membersecured to the chassis, and a center rail member interconnecting thefirst and second rail members. The slide assembly also includes a spoolconfigured to contact each of the first and second rails to permitfull-speed travel of the first rail relative to the second rail, andhalf-speed travel of the center rail relative to the first rail.

Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a drawerarrangement including a drawer, a chassis, a slide assembly, and a cablemanagement device. The cable management device is secured to the slideassembly and is configured to linearly travel at half-speed relative tothe drawer and automatically rotate in relation to the linear travel ofthe drawer.

A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a slidearrangement including a center member, and first and second membersslidably engaged with the center member so as to achieve relativesliding movement in a longitudinal direction. Preferably, the centermember has an I-shaped cross-section including first and secondlongitudinal grooves. The first and second members each include a railstructure for slidable positioning within the first and secondlongitudinal grooves of the center rail.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a mounting bracketfor a drawer arrangement including a drawer, a chassis, and a slideassembly. The mounting brackets mount the chassis to a rack or otherdevice. The chassis further includes a housing construction having abacking plate mounted to the chassis sidewalls and including threadedopenings therethrough. Each of the mounting brackets includes first andsecond plate members disposed at 90° relative to one another whereineach of the first and second plate members includes at least twotri-lobed holes therethrough. A plurality of washers each having areciprocally shaped bottom surface for mating with one of the tri-lobedholes are provided. Fasteners pass through each washer and through oneof the tri-lobed holes of the mounting brackets to mount the brackets tothe chassis.

A variety of examples of desirable product features or methods are setforth in part in the description that follows, and in part will beapparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing variousaspects of the disclosure. The aspects of the disclosure may relate toindividual features as well as combinations of features. It is to beunderstood that both the foregoing general description and the followingdetailed description are explanatory only, and are not restrictive ofthe claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of a drawerarrangement shown in an open position and having a drawer slideaccording to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the drawer arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the drawer arrangement of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the drawer arrangement of FIG. 3,shown in a closed position;

FIG. 5 is an exploded assembly view of the drawer arrangement of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a base construction of the drawerarrangement of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of a chassis of the drawerarrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is bottom perspective view of the drawer slide shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an explosed assembly view of the drawer slide of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a rail of the drawer slide of FIG.8;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the rail of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rail of FIG. 10,taken along line 12-12;

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of a center component of the drawerslide of FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the center component ofFIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a spool of the drawer slide of FIG. 9;

FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of a radius limiteraccording to the principles discloses, and shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of the radius limiter of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of the radius limiter of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the radius limiter of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a partial top plan view of a portion of the radius limiter ofFIG. 19 engaged with the base construction of FIG. 6;

FIG. 21 is a backing plate of the drawer arrangement according to theprinciples disclosed, and shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 22 is a mounting bracket of the drawer arrangement according to theprinciples disclosed, and shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 23 is a front view of the mounting bracket of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a first side view of the mounting bracket of FIG. 22;

FIG. 25 is a rear view of the mounting bracket of FIG. 22;

FIG. 26 is a second side view of the mounting bracket of FIG. 22;

FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of awasher used with the mounting bracket of FIG. 22;

FIG. 28 is a bottom perspective view of the washer of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a top view of the washer of FIG. 27;

FIG. 30 is a side view of the washer of FIG. 27;

FIG. 31 is a bottom view of the washer of FIG. 27;

FIG. 32 is a top view of a second preferred embodiment of a washer;

FIG. 33 is a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of a drawerarrangement according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 34 is a side elevational view of the drawer arrangement of FIG. 33;and

FIG. 35 is a partial bottom plan view of the drawer arrangement of FIG.34.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various features of the presentdisclosure that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whereverpossible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like parts.

I. Drawer Arrangement

Referring to FIG. 1, a drawer slide 10 for a cable management panel ormodule 12 according to the present invention is shown. The module 12includes a drawer arrangement 14. The drawer arrangement 14 is typicallyconstructed to mount to a rack, cabinet, enclosure, or other mountingfixture (not shown). In some applications, a number of drawerarrangements 14 incorporating the features of the present disclosure canbe mounted to a rack or enclosure to provide a system of cablemanagement modules 12.

As shown in FIG. 1-4, the drawer arrangement 14 includes a frame orchassis 16 and a drawer 30. The drawer slide 10 is operablyinterconnects the drawer 30 and the chassis 16; that is, the drawer 30is configured to slide relative to the chassis 16 by operation of thedrawer slide 10. In general, the drawer arrangement 14 is generallyconfigured to slide outward from a closed position (FIG. 4) to an openposition (FIG. 2) to access an interior 26 of the drawer 30. Typically,the drawer arrangement 14 is oriented and arranged such that the drawer30 slides out horizontally (as represented by arrow A in FIG. 2) fromthe chassis 16.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the drawer 30 includes a base 32, a front wall 34and a rear wall 36. Note that the drawer 30 is absent of side walls, oris “side wall-free.” This design allows for cable entry and exit andprevents cable damage during sliding movement of the drawers 30 whenaccessing the cables and connectors or other devices in the drawer 30.The base 32, front wall 34 and rear wall 36 together define the storageinterior 26 for holding and storing the cables.

The storage interior 26 of the drawer 30 is sized for receiving cablemanagement or distribution structures. Examples of distributionstructures include devices for storing the cables or connecting thecables to other cables and/or fiber optic devices, such as attenuators,couplers, switches, wave divisions multiplexers, splitters, combiners,or splices. In some embodiments, the distribution structures can beconveniently mounted on a tray insert (not shown) supported by a baseconstruction 84 of the drawer 30. The tray insert can be customized asthe particular needs vary and is convenient for structuring the drawer30 to serve one or more desired functions in application with a drawersystem. Examples of tray inserts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. 6,504,988,previously incorporated herein by reference. In the illustratedembodiment, the drawer arrangement 14 is constructed to be stackable andlinkable to form a sub-cable management panel system. Such modularityalso allows for ease of use for a variety of different needs of a cablemanagement system.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the drawer arrangement 14 includes twoopposingly positioned drawer slides 10 to provide sliding motion betweenthe drawer 30 and the chassis 16. In addition, the drawer arrangement 14includes a take-up mechanism or radius limiter 50, as described ingreater detail below, for managing the cables during sliding movement ofdrawer 30. The take-up mechanism 50 protects the cables and preventscable bending beyond a minimum bend radius when the drawer 30 slidesopen or closed.

Referring to FIG. 5, the base 32 and the rear wall 36 of the drawer 30are generally defined by the base construction 84. As shown in FIG. 6,the base construction 84 further includes laterally extending sideledges 142 and angled transition sections 146 located between a centralbottom 144 and each of the side ledges 142. A slot 148 is formed in eachof the side ledges 142 of the base construction 84. The side ledges 142also include holes 140 at which the drawer slide 10 is secured (FIG. 5).When assembled, the drawer slide 10 secures to the underside of the sideledge 142.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the illustrated base construction 84includes mounting tabs 138 for use with mounting hardware 134 to securethe base construction 84 to a liner plate 86 and a front panel 88. Thefront panel 88 can be a separate component as shown, or can be anintegral component of the base construction 84. In some arrangements,such as the one shown, the front panel 88 is made of plastic. Inarrangements including a plastic front panel, the liner plate 86 isprovided as safety precaution for containing any possible fires withinthe interior of the drawer. In general, the liner plate 86 and the frontpanel 88 of the illustrated embodiment define the front wall 34 of thedrawer 30.

The illustrated front panel 88 includes openings 96 at opposite ends ofthe panel 88. A latch mechanism 92 is positioned in each of the openings96 and is configured to selectively unlatch from engagement with a latchaperture 100 formed in the chassis 16. In general, the latch mechanism92 locks or latches the drawer 30 in a secured closed position; and canbe selectively unlocked or unlatched to permit the drawer 30 to slideopen. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch mechanism 92 includes aspring 102 arranged to bias the latch mechanism 92 into engagement withthe latch aperture 100 when the drawer 30 is in the closed position.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the chassis 16 of the present drawerarrangement 14 includes a top cover 20, a back wall 28, sides 22, andinwardly projecting lower ledges 24. In the illustrated embodiment, eachof the top cover 20, back wall 28, sides 22, and lower ledges 24 are anintegral construction. That is, the chassis 16 can be formed of, forexample, bent sheet metal; although it is contemplated that eachcomponent of the chassis 16 can also be constructed individually andfastened together.

The top cover 20 includes an extending lip 74 the functions as alabyrinth seal to reduce dust and particulate from entering the drawerinterior 26 when the drawer 30 is in the closed position (FIG. 4). Thelip 74 has cut-out regions 76 so that a user can easily grasp the frontpanel 88 of the drawer 30 to slide the drawer open (FIG. 2). In theillustrated embodiment, the cut-out regions 76 of the extending lip 74are located adjacent to the sides 22 of the chassis 16.

The sides 22 include an extension piece 106 that projects forward fromthe side 22. The latch aperture 100 is formed in the extension piece 106and is positioned to operate with the latch mechanism 92 as previouslydescribed. The extension piece also operates in conjunction with theradius limiter 50, which operation is described in greater detailhereinafter.

The lower ledges 24 of the chassis 16 include holes 38 at which thedrawer slide 10 is secured to the chassis 16. As shown in FIG. 1, thedrawer slide 10 is positioned on top of the lower ledge 24 of thechassis 16. The location of the drawer slide 10 (i.e. on top of thelower ledge 24) is accommodated by the angled transition section 146 ofthe base construction 84.

II. Drawer Slide

Referring again to FIG. 5, the drawer slide 10 includes three slidemembers: a first rail 40, a second rail 42, and a center rail 44. In theillustrated embodiment, the first rail 40 is secured to the base 32 ofthe drawer 30 (i.e. the side ledges 142 of the base construction 84),and the second rail 42 is secure to the lower ledges 24 of the chassis16. The center rail 44 interconnects the first rail 40 and the secondrail 42. In operation, when the drawer 30 is moved relative to thechassis 16, the first rail 40 and the center rail 44 slide relative tothe second rail 42.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the drawer slide 10 is shown with each of therails 40, 42, and 44 assembled in relation to one another. Each of thefirst and second rails 40, 42 includes a first end 52 and a second end54. The first end 52 of each rail is generally the end that is furthestfrom the center rail 44 when the drawer slide 10 is in an expanded oropened orientation. The direction of sliding movement is represented byarrow A.

FIG. 9 is an exploded assembly view illustrates the drawer slide 10. Asshown, the center rail 44 has grooves, including a first groove 46 and asecond groove 48 extending from a first end 80 to a second end 82 of thecenter rail 44. The grooves 46, 48 are located on opposite sides of thecenter rail 44 and generally define an I-shaped cross-section of thecenter rail. The first and second grooves 46, 48 are configured forinterlocking connection with the first and second rails 40, 42. Inparticular, the grooves are configured for corresponding receipt ofinterlocking structure or protrusions 56, 58 that extend along the firstand second rails 40, 42, respectively. The center rail may include aupper and lower edges or lips 68 that partially define the grooves 46,48. The lips 68 interlock with the first and second rails 44 so that therails 40, 42 cannot laterally move relative to the center rail 44.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-12, one embodiment of a rail is shown. Each ofthe first and second rails 40, 42 are mirror images of the other, thusonly one of the rails, the first rail 40, is illustrated. The followingdescription and illustrations of the first rail 40 apply to the secondrail 42, as the second rail is an identical mirrored construction of thefirst rail 40.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first rail 40 includes a primary rail portion164. The primary rail portion 164 defines mounting structures 166 forfastening or securing the first rail 40 to the drawer 30. The mountingstructures 166 can include through holes, threaded holes, or any othertype of structure for securing the rail to the drawer 30. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, each of the first rails 40 is secured between outer edges110 of the drawer 30 and the slots 148 of the drawer. The compact sizeof the drawer slide 10 facilitates this location of the first rail 40,which is advantageous in further structurally supporting the slot 148configuration formed in the drawer. As can be understood, the secondrail 42 accordingly includes mounting structures for securing the secondrail to the chassis 16.

The protrusion 56 of the first rail 40 extends outward from the primaryrail portion 164. As shown in FIG. 12, the cross-sectional configurationof the protrusion 56 includes an elongated portion 168 attached to theprimary rail portion 164 by a neck 170. The elongated portion of theprotrusion 56 is configured to interlock with the groove 46 of thecenter rail 44 so that the first and center rails 40, 44 cannotlaterally move relative to one another.

The elongated portion 168 of the protrusion 56 extends from the firstend 52 of the rail 40 to the second end 42. A shoulder or stop structure172 is located along a section of the elongated portion 168. In theillustrated embodiment, the stop structure 172 is extends along an upperregion of the elongated portion 168 adjacent to the second end 54 of therail 40. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the stopstructure 172 interacts with the center rail to provide a positive stopof relative movement between the first rail 40 and the center rail 44.

In use, the preferred drawer slide 10 provides synchronized slidablemovement of the center rail 44 and first rail 40 when the second rail 42is held stationary or is affixed to the chassis 16. In particular, thedrawer slide 10 provides synchronized slidable movement of the radiuslimiter 50 relative to slidable movement of the drawer 30. Thesynchronized movement of the radius limiter 50 and the drawer 30 ensuresthat cables stored within the interior 26 of the drawer 30 do not bendtoo sharply when the drawer 30 is being opened or closed. If the cableswere to bend too sharply, loss of signal strength or loss oftransmission may occur.

As shown in FIG. 5, the radius limiter 50 secures to the center rail 44.The center rail 44 includes a wheel or spool 70 configured to providehalf speed linear movement by rotational contact with both the first andsecond rails 40, 42. That is, when the drawer 30 is slid relative to thechassis 16, the spool 70 rotates between the first and second rails 40,42 to permit the first rail 40 to travel at full speed and causes thecenter rail 44 to travel at half speed. In the illustrated embodiment,the spool 70 is self-contained within the drawer slide 10; therebyplacement of the drawer slide 10 relative to the drawer 30 and chassis16 is not limited by, for example, a contact requirement between thespool and the chassis or spool diameter. In addition, the drawer slide10 is not limited to a particular drawer length. The self-containedfeature adapts well to drawer arrangements having different drawerdepths.

Referring to FIG. 8, the spool 70 is configured to rotate about the axisof rotation B that is perpendicular to the direction A of slidablemovement of the drawer slide 10. More specifically, the axis of rotationB is generally perpendicular, in a vertical direction, relative to thedirection A of slidable horizontal movement of the drawer 30. By havingthe spool 70 rotate about axis B in a vertical direction relative to thehorizontal movement of the drawer 30, there is a reduction in problemsassociated with manufacturing and assembly of the drawer arrangement 14.

For example, in prior arrangements, a wheel was oriented to have ahorizontal axis of rotation. In these prior arrangements, the wheel rodeon or was in direct contact with the drawer or chassis. Accordingly,sheet metal flatness, parallelism, and tolerance stack ups had to becarefully controlled because it was critical to wheel engagement. Inaddition, the wheel would push the drawer and its components, forexample, upwards towards the drawer cover due to the orientation of thewheel, which sometimes caused interference problems. By orienting thespool 70 with the axis of rotation B in a vertical direction, many ofthese problems are minimized or eliminated all together.

Referring now to FIGS. 13-15, the center rail 44 includes receivingstructure 200 within which the spool 70 is located. In the illustratedembodiment, the receiving structure 200 extends through the center rail44 from a bottom surface 202 to a top surface 204. As shown in FIG. 13,the receiving structure 200 defines first and second apertures 206 (onlyone shown in side view of FIG. 13) that extend into the correspondingfirst and second grooves 46 and 48.

As shown in FIG. 15, the spool 70 generally includes an axle 218 and aretaining cap 220. The retaining cap 220 has an outer ring 224. Theouter ring 224 is sized to fit within a first annular section 208 of thecenter rail 44 (FIG. 14). The outer ring 224 preferably includescircumferentially spaced-apart sections 226. In the illustratedembodiment, the outer ring 224 includes four sections 226 spaced atapproximately 90° intervals. The spaced-apart sections 226 areconfigured for flexure so that the sections 226 flex and snap-fit theouter ring 224 into the first annular section 208. Providing a snap-fitconnection reduces costs associated with assembly of the drawerarrangement 14. Other outer ring configurations that provide theconvenient snap-fit feature can be used, including outer rings havingmore or less than four flexible section 226, for example.

In the preferred embodiment, the spool 70 includes an o-ring orcompressible ring 78 (FIG. 9) that circumscribes the spool 70 to providea gripping interface during operation. The axle 218 of the spool 70includes a retaining groove 222. The retaining groove 222 is configuredto maintain placement of the o-ring 78 in the groove 222 about the axle218. When the spool 70 is placed within the receiving structure 200 ofthe center rail 44, the o-ring 78 is located within a second annularsection 210 (FIG. 14). The second annular section 210 defines theapertures 206 (FIG. 13) that extend into the grooves 46, 48 of thecenter rail. That is, the second annular section 210 is configured toextend into the groove 46, 48 to define the apertures 206 through whichthe o-ring extends to contact the first and second rails 40, 42 duringoperation.

In operation, each of the first, second and center rails 40, 42, 44slidably moves relative to the other rails. As the rails linearly travelrelative to one another, the o-ring 78 and spool 70 rotate by contact ofthe o-ring 78 with an engagement surface 98 (FIG. 11) of the protrusions56, 58. In some embodiments, the engagement surface 98 may have aparticular surface finish to enhance engagement between the o-ring 78and the surface 98 of each of the first and second rails 40, 42.Preferably, the o-ring 78 is under some compression sufficient enough tomaintain the drawer 30 in a fixed position when a user has released thedrawer 30 in a partially-opened or partially-closed position. Thisaddresses problems found in prior drawer slides having a ball-bearingarrangement where a drawer may unintentionally continue to roll open orclosed due to the weight of the drawer.

Referring back to FIG. 13, each of the grooves 46, 48 of the center rail44 includes has a longitudinal recess 62. The longitudinal recess 62 ispositioned generally toward the center of the center rail 44 and isconfigured to accommodate a projection or catch 64 located at the secondend 58 (FIG. 10) of each of the first and second rails 40, 42. The catch64 of each of the first and second rails 40, 42 slides within thelongitudinal recess 62 of the center rail 44. The catch 64 is sized andconfigured such that that catch will slidably move along within thelongitudinal recess without interference, until the catch 64 contactsthe ring 80 of the spool 70. Preferably, the catch 64 is positioned andsized to provide sufficient interference with the ring 80 to cause acease or pause in sliding movement of the drawer. The pause in movement,caused by the interference, indicates to a user that the drawer 30 hasreached its fully-open position.

Because of the compliance of the ring 80, the drawer 30 can be pulledout farther from the fully-open position. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13,the drawer slide also includes a positive stop arrangement 90 thatprevents the drawer 30 from being total separated from the chassis 16when sliding the drawer 30 open.

The positive stop arrangement 90 is provided by engagement of the stopstructures 172 (FIG. 10) located on each of the first and second rails40, 42, and stop ledges or stops 94 (FIG. 13) located on the center rail44. In the illustrated embodiment, the stop structures 172 extend adistance from the second ends 54 of the first and second rails 40, 42.The corresponding stops 94 extend a distance from each of the ends 80,82 of the center rail 44. The stop structures 172 of each rail 40, 42engage the stops 94 on the center rail 44 when the drawer 30 is pulledout beyond the fully-open position. This engagement positively stopsfurther movement of the drawer 30 and prevents the drawer 30 from beingtotally separated from the chassis 16.

The drawer arrangement 14 has been designed to account for roughhandling or excessive loading that may cause the rails 40, 42, 44 of thedrawer slide 10 to become mismatched or longitudinally mis-located inrelation to one another. In the event of longitudinally mis-location,the rails 40, 42, 44 of the drawer slide 10 can be re-located intoproper relative orientation by fully extending the drawer 30 or fullyclosing the drawer. In particular, when the drawer 30 is in the fullyclosed position, the center rail 44 contacts a tab 60 (FIG. 1)projecting upward from the lower ledge 24 of the chassis 16. Thiscontact holds the center rail 44 in a stationary position, and as a usercontinues to push the drawer 30 closed, any mismatch is corrected as thefirst and second rail 40, 42 skid or skip across the o-ring 78 of thespool 70 to the fully-closed position. Likewise, when the drawer 30 isextended beyond the fully-open position, to the point where the positivestop arrangement 90 is engaged, the rails 40, 42, 44 also may skid orskip across the o-ring 78 of the spool 70 to correct any mismatch.

III. Radius Limiter/Take-up Mechanism

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the radius limiter 50 is arranged relativeto the drawer 30 to permit movement of cable through a wide range ofangles. In particular, the radius limiter 50 is configured to rotate orpivot relative to the drawer 30 to prevent cables from bending beyond aminimum bend radius when the drawer slides open or closed.

Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, the illustrated embodiment of theradius limiter 50 includes a frame piece 154 having a first verticallyoriented curved wall 156. A trough section 158 is located adjacent tothe vertically curved wall 156. The trough section 158 is defined by thefirst curved wall 156, a second vertically oriented curved wall 160, anda base 162 that bridges or joins the walls 156, 160. In general, thetrough section 158 is generally arcuate, that is the trough section 158has a semi-circle or half-moon shape.

As illustrated, the illustrated radius limiter 50 also includes anextension portion 174 depending from the frame piece 154. The extensionportion 174 depends downwardly from a top portion 176 of the frame piece154. The top portion 176 and the extension portion 174 partially definea region of the trough section 158. The extension portion 174 assists inguiding and retaining the cables within the trough section 158 so thatthe cables are not pinched between the radius limiter 50 and the chassis16 when the drawer 30 slides open and closed.

Still referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, the frame piece 154 defines a cableentry opening 167 adjacent the curved wall 156 of the frame piece 154.The cable entry opening 167 is in communication with the trough section158. The opening 167 permits cables to enter through the opening 167 andrest within the trough section 158.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the illustrated radius limiter 50 includes afinger 112. The finger 112 connects to the frame 154 and covers aportion of the trough section 158. In preferred embodiments, the finger112 is selectively pivotable relative to the frame 154 via a latchingconfiguration 152 (FIG. 16). The finger 112 pivots away from remainingportions of the radius limiter 50 to provide a gap or space between thefinger 112 and the radius limiter 50. This gap or space facilitatesloading of cable into the trough 158 and the storage interior 26 of thedrawer arrangement 14. The finger 112 also helps to hold the cables inplace within the radius limiter 50.

Referring now to FIGS. 18 and 19, the radius limiter 50 includes arotating element 114 located on a bottom surface 116 of the frame piece154. The rotating element 114 causes the radius limiter 50 to rotatefrom a first position (not shown), occupied when the drawer 30 isclosed, to a second rotated position (FIG. 3), occupied when the drawer30 is open. In the first position, the radius limiter 50 is orientedsuch that no portion of the radius limiter extends beyond the outeredges 110 (FIG. 3) of the drawer 30. In this position, the radiuslimiter 50 can move within the chassis 16 without obstruction as thedrawer 30 is being opened or closed.

Referring back to FIG. 5, the radius limiter is coupled to the drawer 30of the drawer arrangement 14. In particular, the rotating element 114 isplaced within the slot 148 of the side plate 142 of the drawer 30 andsecured to the drawer slide 10 by a common type fastener 124. Thefastener 124 is received within one of the threaded holes 66 in thecentral rail 44. As can be understood, the radius limiter 50 can besecured to either threaded hole 66 of the center rail, depending uponwhether the drawer slide 10 is a left-handed slide or a right-handedslide.

The radius limiter 50 and the slot 148 are associated with each other toprovide pivotal movement or rotation of the radius limiter 50 relativeto the drawer 30. As shown in FIG. 20, the slot 148 of each of the sideplates 142 includes an angled region 150. The rotating element 114 ofthe radius limiter 50 contacts the angled region 150 of the slot 148causing the radius limiter 50 to pivot or rotate as the element 114moves along the angled region 150.

Specifically, as the drawer 30 moves in the direction A from the closedposition toward the open position, the rotating element 114 slides alonga first region 132 in the first position. As previously described, theradius limiter 50 is in the first position when no portion of the radiuslimiter 50 extends beyond the edge 110 of the drawer 30. The firstregion 132 of the slot 148 has a first width W1.

As the drawer continues to slide outward in the direction A, therotating element 114 contacts the angled region 150. The tapering widthof the angled region 150 causes the rotating element 114′ (and thus theradius limiter) to rotate, as shown in FIG. 20. As the drawer furthercontinues to slide outward, the rotating element 114′ contacts a secondregion 136 of the slot 148. The second region 136 has a second width W2.At this point the rotating element 114″ and the radius limiter 50 fullyrotate to the second rotated position (FIG. 3). The radius limiter 50remains in this second rotated position as the drawer continues to open.

Referring back to FIG. 19, the rotating element 114 is configured with afirst length L1 and a second length L2. The first length L1 correspondsto the first width W1 of the first region 132 of the slot 148; and thesecond length L2 corresponds to the second width W2 of the second region136 of the slot.

The radius limiter 50 may be configured to pivot to various desiredangles of rotation. By varying the design of the widths W1, W2 andlengths L1, L2 of the slot 148 and rotating element 114, and varying theangle of the angled region 150, the rotating limiter 50 can beconfigured to provide a range of rotational movement. In general, therange of rotational movement from the first position to the secondrotated position is at least 10°, no greater than 120°, and typicallyabout 80-100°. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the radiuslimiter 50 is rotated 90° (represented by arrow C) relative to the firstposition.

In use, as the operator slides the drawer 30 relative to the chassis 16,the radius limiter 50 begins to rotate relative to drawer 30 toaccommodate the orientation of the drawer 30 relative to the chassis 16and thereby manage the bend radius of the cables. As can be understood,the point at which the radius limiter begins to rotate can be varied bylocating the angled region further toward the front wall 34 of thedrawer 30 or further toward the back wall 36 of the drawer. By this theradius limiter 50 can be designed to limit movement of the cables atselected times for better control and positioning of the cables.

Referring back to FIG. 16, the radius limiter 50 includes a tab 104extending downward from the frame piece 154. The tab 104 cooperates withthe chassis to automatically rotate the radius limiter 50 from thesecond rotated position to the first position when the drawer is beingclosed. In particular, the extension pieces 106 (FIG. 7) of the chassis16 project forward from the sides 22. Referring to FIG. 1, as the drawerslides from the open position to a closed position, the tab 104 of theradius limiter contacts the extension piece 106, which pushes the radiuslimiter forward along the second region 136 of the slot 148. As thedrawer continues to close, the radius limiter 50 is pushed along theangled region 150 and into the first region 132 of the slot 148. Thiscauses radius limiter 50 to engage the angled region 150 of the slot 148in a reverse direction (FIG. 20) and rotate from the second rotatedposition back to the first position (represented by arrow D in FIG. 3).

In the present drawer arrangement 14, the radius limiter is configuredto automatically rotate from the first position to the second rotatedposition when the drawer is being opened; and automatically rotate fromthe second rotated position to the first position when the drawer isbeing closed. This means that the operator is not required to manuallymove the radius limiter when opening or closing the drawer. The designalso does not rely upon gravity or cable weight to rotate the radiuslimiter. Rather, the radius limiter automatically rotates when thedrawer is opened and automatically rotates back when the drawer closes.In addition, the present drawer arrangement 14 provides a radius limiter50 that travel at half speed relative to the drawer position. In sum,the preferred radius limiter linearly and rotationally moves in apredetermined motion relative to the sliding position of the drawer 30.

IV. Mounting Structure

Referring back to FIG. 5, the drawer arrangement includes mountingstructure 18 configured to mount the drawer arrangement 14 to a rack,cabinet, enclosure, or other mounting fixture (not shown). Generally thedrawer arrangement 14 is secured to an existing system or a systemhaving a predetermined spatial constraint on the width of the chassis.

In prior arrangements, mounting brackets were attached directly to thesides of a chassis. The thickness of the sides of the prior chassis waslimited due to the outer spatial constraints of the chassis and theinner spatial constraints of prior ball-bearing slide arrangements. Thatis, the outer dimensions of the chassis are generally fixed, and theprior ball-bearing slide arrangements were larger than the presentlydisclosed drawer slide 10. This limited the structural thickness of thechassis sides. Because of the limited thickness of the sides, smallerscrews, such as #4-40 UNC screws, were used to maximize threadengagement when securing the mounting bracket to the chassis sides. Itwas found, however, that the thread engagement was not sufficient ifdrawers having this type of mounting arrangement were dropped or handledroughly. The insufficient thread engagement cause particular concerns ofstructural instability in systems having a stacked number of drawers.

The drawer slide 10 of the present drawer arrangement 14 is smaller andmore compact than the prior ball-bearing slide arrangements. The compactsize of the drawer slide 10 makes feasible a mounting structure 18having better structural stability.

Referring to FIG. 5, the mounting structure 18 of the present disclosureincludes backing plates 180 and mounting brackets 190. The backingplates 180 secure to the inside surfaces of the chassis sides 22. Asshown in FIG. 21, each of the backing plates 180 has substantially thesame shape as the side 22 of the chassis 16. Threaded holes 182 formedin the backing plate 180 correspond to holes 184 (FIG. 5) in the side22. Fasteners 186 are used to secure the backing plate 180 to the side22. In the alternative, the backing plate 180 can be secured to the side22 by other conventional means, such as rivets or spot weldments.

The backing plate 180 includes threaded holes 188. The threaded holes188 correspond to through holes 192 formed in the chassis side 22. Thethreaded holes 188 and through holes 192 can be arranged in a variety ofhole patterns suited to provide flexibility in placement of the mountingbracket 190.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 22-26, the mounting bracket 190 isgenerally an L-shaped bracket. The mounting bracket 190 includesapertures 194 shaped for receipt of tri-lobe washers 196. The tri-lobewashers 196 are used with fasteners 198 to secure the mounting bracket190 to the side 22 of the chassis. In the illustrated arrangement, thefasteners 198 extend through holes 192 in the side 22 of the chassis andengage the threaded holes 188 of the backing plate 180. The thickness ofthe backing plate 180 permits use of larger threaded fasteners, and alesser quantity of fasteners, in comparison to the size and numberfasteners used in the prior mounting arrangements. That is, the backingplate 180 provides added structural thickness, which facilitates use ofthe larger fasteners. In the illustrated embodiment, #8-32 UNC threadsare used. Mounting the drawer arrangement 14 is made easier with alesser number of larger threaded fasteners; the larger threads of thefasteners also providing greater structural stability.

Each mounting bracket 190 defines an L-shape with first and second platemembers 230, 232 positioned transversely to one another, preferably at90°. Each plate member 230, 232 includes at least two apertures 194.Apertures 194 are in the shape of a tri-lobe wherein a rack fastener canbe positioned in a variety of locations within aperture 194 for use inmounting bracket 190 to a plurality of racks or other mounting fixtureshaving different hole spacing formats. For example, a tri-lobe opening194 in first plate member 230 is useful for reducing the number ofindividual holes needed in bracket 190 when an operator desires to usebracket 190 with different rack formats such as WECO or EIA rack holespacings.

Preferred bracket 190 is reversible so that second plate member 232 canbe used to mount to the rack, such as in the situation when a wider rackis used. For example, bracket 190 is used as shown in FIG. 1 for a 19inch rack. Bracket 190 can be turned so that first plate member 230 ismounted adjacent to side 22 of drawer arrangement 14. Second platemember 232 extends transversely from drawer 30, and the outer twoapertures 194 a would be used to receive fasteners to mount drawerarrangement 14 to a 23 inch rack. Depending on the hole positions andspacings on each rack, a rack fastener can reside in different portionsof apertures 194, 194 a without the need for separate holes for eachindividual rack format. Also, brackets 190 can be mounted adjacent to arear of drawer arrangement 14, such as to wall mount the chassis. Allfour apertures 194 in second plate member can be used to mount bracket190 to the chassis. Preferably all apertures 194 are tri-lobed for easeof manufacture and use with different racks.

Apertures 194 also include a counterbore 234. Apertures 194 andcounterbore 234 receive one of the tri-lobe washers 196 to reduce theprofile of the chassis for maximizing drawer space in the rack.Referring now to FIGS. 27-31, one embodiment of a tri-lobe washer 196 isshown. Washer 196 includes a central opening 236 extending between a top212 and a bottom 214. Top 212 further includes a countersink 216.Countersink 216 allows for receipt of a flat head screw. Washer 196further includes a slot 238 which allows for flexing of washer 196 so asto be releaseably retained on fasteners 198. Opening 236 is providedwith two different major dimensions, to define the general shape of anoval. The minimum diameter of opening 236 is generally equal to thepitch diameter of fastener 198. The maximum diameter of opening 236 isgenerally equal to or greater than the thread outer diameter. In thismanner, washer 196 is retained with one of the fasteners 198.

Bottom surface 214 of washer 196 includes a protrusion 240 for receiptin tri-lobe aperture 194. Washer 196 does not substantially increase theprotrusion of the head of fastener 198, especially when flat head screwsand the counterbore 234 are used. In this manner, the spacing betweenthe sides of the chassis can be maximized for use in cable storage andmanagement.

Referring now to FIG. 32, an alternative washer 296 is shown. Washer 296includes a threaded aperture 298. In a similar manner as washer 196,washer 296 is retained on fastener 198. Slot 238 allows for the threadsto skip as fastener 198 is tightened into the sides of the chassis.Alternatively, washers 196, 296 do not need to be slotted. Preferably,some retention mechanism is desired for ease of use. However, suchretention mechanism is not required.

V. Alternative Embodiment

Referring now to FIGS. 33-35, an alternative embodiment of a drawerarrangement 314 is shown. The drawer arrangement 314 has similarcomponents as the previously disclosed embodiment, with the exception ofa control and take-up mechanism.

The drawer arrangement 314 generally includes a frame or chassis 316 anda drawer 330. A drawer slide 310 operably interconnects the drawer 330and the chassis 316 to provide slideable movement of the drawer 330relative to the chassis 316 in the direction represented by arrow E inFIG. 33. The drawer slide 310, having a first rail 340, a second rail342, and a center rail 344, is identical in construction and operationto the previous drawer slide embodiment. The drawer slide 310 is alsosimilarly located within the drawer arrangement 314; that is, the firstrail 340 secures to the drawer 330, the second rail 342 secures to thechassis 316, and the center rail 344 interconnects the first and secondrails 340, 342.

The alternative drawer arrangement 314 also includes a radius limiter350 for managing cables during sliding movement of the drawer 330. Theradius limiter 350 is operated by a control-mechanism 352. Thecontrol-mechanism 152 is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No.09/900,465, previously incorporated herein by reference. In general, thecontrol mechanism 352 includes a wheel 328 oriented to rotate betweenthe drawer 330 and the chassis 316.

The control mechanism 352 includes a bracket 334 having an axle 336. Thewheel 328 is mounted for rotation on the axle 336 of the bracket 334. Inoperable assembly, the wheel 328 rotates about its axle 336 between andagainst an outer side surface 354 of the first rail 340 and an insidesurface (not shown) of a side 322 of the chassis 316. Positioning thewheel 328 to rotate between the first rail 340 of the drawer slide 310and the side 322 of the chassis 316 allows the radius limiter 350 tomove at one-half of the speed of the movement of the drawer 330 relativeto the chassis 316.

In this present embodiment, the radius limiter 350 rotates from a firstposition (FIGS. 33-35) to a second rotated position (not shown) byeither manual rotation from an operator or forces of resistance causedby the cables.

The drawer slide 10, 310 of the present disclosure can be a machinedmetal or alloy, or an extruded plastic. Although the illustratedembodiment of the drawer slides 10, 310 each include a center railhaving longitudinal constructions (grooves 46, 48) and first and secondrails having protrusion 56, 58, the interlocking components of the rails40, 42, and 44 can be reversed. That is, in accord with the principlesdisclosed, the center rail may be configured with protrusions thatinterlock with grooves on each of the first and second rails.

The disclosed drawer slide offers several advantages over priorball-bearing slide arrangements. In particular, the drawer slideeliminates the need for lubricants required in ball-bearing designs.Lubricants can contaminate electronics housed within the drawerassembly. The drawer slide of the present disclosure is compact is andlight weight. By its compactness, and self-contained design, the drawerslide is not restricted to location, permitting use in a variety ofdrawer arrangement configurations. The light weight feature of thedrawer slide also reduces costs associated with shipping and handling.

The above specification provides a complete description of the SLIDEARRANGEMENT FOR CABLE DRAWER. Since many embodiments of the inventioncan be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention, certain aspects of the invention resides in the claimshereinafter appended.

1. A drawer arrangement, comprising: a) a drawer and a chassis, thedrawer having an interior configured for receipt of cables, the drawerbeing selectively positionable in an open position and a closedposition, the chassis including a housing construction having a mainportion and two opposite sides, each opposite side including first andsecond plate portions mounted to one another in a face to facearrangement; and b) a slide assembly interconnected to the drawer andthe chassis, the slide assembly being configured to provide slidingmovement of the drawer relative to the chassis; c) a mounting bracketmounted to each side of the chassis, each of the mounting bracketsincluding first and second plate members disposed at 90° relative to oneanother, each of the first and second plate members including at leasttwo tri-lobed holes therethrough; d) a plurality of washers, each washerhaving a reciprocally shaped bottom surface for mating with one of thetri-lobed holes of the mounting brackets; and e) a plurality of threadedfasteners, each threaded fastener passing through one of the washers andone of the tri-lobed holes and into one of the opposite sides of thechassis.
 2. The drawer arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first plateportions of each side are interconnected to one another by the mainportion of the housing construction.
 3. The drawer arrangement of claim2, wherein the second plate portions are interconnected to the firstplate portions by threaded fastener connections.
 4. The drawerarrangement of claim 1, wherein the threaded fasteners pass through athrough bore formed in the first plate portion and engage a threadedhole formed in the second plate portion.
 5. The drawer arrangement ofclaim 1, wherein the first and second plate members have differentlengths that define an L-shape.
 6. The drawer arrangement of claim 5,wherein the L-shape mounting brackets are reversible to mount the drawerarrangement to racks having different widths.
 7. The drawer arrangementof claim 6, wherein the shorter member of the first and second platemembers is sized to fit to a rack having a width of 19 inches.
 8. Thedrawer arrangement of claim 6, wherein the longer member of the firstand second plate members is sized to fit to a rack having a width of 23inches.
 9. The drawer arrangement of claim 1, further including rackfasteners, wherein the threaded fasteners pass through the tri-lobedholes of one of the first and second plate portions of the mountingbracket and into one of the opposite sides of the chassis, the other ofthe first and second plate portions receiving the rack fasteners thatmount the drawer arrangement to a rack.
 10. The drawer arrangement ofclaim 9, wherein the tri-lobed holes of the mounting bracket permit auser to position the rack fastener in a selected one of three lobeportions of the tri-lobed hole to accommodate different hole spacing ofthe rack.
 11. The drawer arrangement of claim 1, wherein each of thewashers includes a countersunk top surface.
 12. The drawer arrangementof claim 1, wherein each of the washers includes retaining structure forretaining one of the threaded fasteners in an aperture of the washer.13. The drawer arrangement of claim 12, wherein the retaining structureis partly defined by a radial slot formed in the washer.
 14. The drawerarrangement of claim 12, wherein the retaining structure is partlydefined by the shape of the aperture of the washer, the shape being anoval shape.
 15. The drawer arrangement of claim 14, wherein a minimumdiameter of the oval shape of the aperture is generally equal to thepitch diameter of the fasteners.
 16. The drawer arrangement of claim 15,wherein a maximum diameter of the oval shape of the aperture is equal toor greater than the outer diameter of the fasteners.
 17. The drawerarrangement of claim 1, wherein the slide assembly includes: a) andI-shaped center rail having first and second longitudinal constructions,each of the first and second longitudinal constructions extending from afirst end to a second end of the center rail; b) a first rail having afirst structure configured to slidably engage the first construction ofthe center rail; and c) a second rail having a second structureconfigured to slidably engage the second construction of the centerrail.
 18. The drawer arrangement of claim 17, further including a spoolpositioned at the center rail and arranged to contact each of the firstand second rails to permit full-speed travel of the first rail relativeto the second rail, and half-speed travel of the center rail relative tothe first rail.
 19. The drawer arrangement of claim 18, furthercomprising a cable management device secured to the center rail formovement with the center rail, the cable management device configured toretain cables.
 20. The drawer arrangement of claim 19, wherein the cablemanagement device includes a curved radius limiter.
 21. A mountingarrangement, comprising: a) a mounting bracket including first andsecond interconnected plate members disposed at 90° relative to oneanother, each of the first and second plate members including at leasttwo tri-lobed holes therethrough; b) a plurality of washers, each washerhaving a reciprocally shaped bottom surface for mating with one of thetri-lobed holes of the mounting bracket; and c) a plurality of threadedfasteners each sized for passing through one of the washers and one ofthe tri-lobed holes of the mounting bracket.
 22. The mountingarrangement of claim 21, wherein the first and second plate members havedifferent lengths that define an L-shape.
 23. The mounting arrangementof claim 22, wherein the L-shape mounting bracket is reversible suchthat each of the first and second plate members is configured to mountto a chassis, and each of the first and second plate members isconfigured to mount to a rack.
 24. The mounting arrangement of claim 23,wherein in a first orientation, the tri-lobe holes of the first andsecond plate members are spaced to accommodate the mounting of a chassisto a rack having a width of 19 inches.
 25. The mounting arrangement ofclaim 23, wherein in a second orientation, the tri-lobe holes of thefirst and second plate members are spaced to accommodate the mounting ofa chassis to a rack having a width of 23 inches.
 26. The mountingarrangement of claim 21, further including rack fasteners, wherein thethreaded fasteners pass through the tri-lobed holes of one of the firstand second plate portions of the mounting bracket, the other of thefirst and second plate portions receiving the rack fasteners.
 27. Themounting arrangement of claim 26, wherein the tri-lobed holes of themounting bracket permit a user to position each of the rack fasteners ina selected one of three lobe portions of the tri-lobed hole toaccommodate different hole spacing of a rack.
 28. The mountingarrangement of claim 21, wherein each of the washers includes acountersunk top surface.
 29. The mounting arrangement of claim 21,wherein each of the washers includes retaining structure for retainingone of the threaded fasteners in an aperture of the washer.
 30. Themounting arrangement of claim 29, wherein the retaining structure ispartly defined by a radial slot formed in the washer.
 31. The mountingarrangement of claim 29, wherein the retaining structure is partlydefined by the shape of the aperture of the washer, the shape being anoval shape.
 32. The mounting arrangement of claim 31, wherein a minimumdiameter of the oval shape of the aperture is generally equal to thepitch diameter of the fasteners.
 33. The mounting arrangement of claim32, wherein a maximum diameter of the oval shape of the aperture isequal to or greater than the outer diameter of the fasteners.